A Birthday Wish Not Come True
by Erzibeth-Malfoy
Summary: Since my birthday was yesterday I had this little drabble stuck in my head...Buttercup's secret wish
1. A Birthday Wish Not Come True

Disclaimer: I only own the plot, I'm just borrowing the characters.

The smell of cigarette smoke clung to his jacket and shirt like a second skin, a smell she had come to associate with him even when she couldn't see him standing behind her. Just his presence alone soothed her frazzled nerves in a way he would never fully understand.

"I thought you weren't going to make it."

She said it simply, no malice or venom in her words, but a sense of disappointment that had lurked and was now ebbing away. He caught on to it and emitted a soft sigh before responding to her light accusation.

"I wasn't, but it's your birthday. I couldn't miss that now could I?"

She laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension from her shoulders at the same time. He had come up behind her now and his scent seemed to engulf her, it was all she could do not to lean into his warmth.

"I half expected you not to come though, I didn't want to get my hopes up."

He placed a hand on her side, turning her to face him so he could look into her green eyes. He became lost in them for a moment before pushing a stray strand of hair back behind her ear.

"I'm sorry I've let you down in the past. I've been a real jerk these last few weeks."

"You've always been a jerk, it only recently started to hurt."

He seemed surprised at her sudden burst of honesty, a weakness she had never shown to anyone.

"Buttercup Utonium, actually hurt?"

He had hoped by joking about it she would resume her usual fiery sense of pride and the shield that she kept up to protect herself from her feelings but for some reason it seemed to sting her more.

"Butch…I don't think I can keep this up anymore. I'm done with the fighting, the constant jabs, the bickering, I just want…"

She trailed off into silence, hoping he would understand without her having to go further. Buttercup truly felt like she was at her weakest point. She just wanted him to understand what she was feeling without losing what little dignity she had left.

"You know I can't."

She looked into his own green eyes, forgetting how similar they truly were to her own except for the glint of mischievousness hidden in the core.

"Why can't you?"

"Because this is just a dream in your head. I never showed up."

Suddenly she was standing alone in the snow, no trace of the boy she was in love with having ever been there and she knew he never would be deep down.

Buttercup woke with a start, her face wet with the tears she had been crying as she slept. Thankfully her sisters were still asleep in their own beds, none the wiser of the pain she was going through as she watched the clock on her nightstand kick over to midnight. It was no longer her birthday and sure enough Butch had not come.


	2. A Late Response

p class="MsoNormal"AN: The little bunny who landed this story in my head gave me another chapter. I don't know if he's still hoping around up there or if he liked the carrot I gave him. Still...enjoy./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Disclaimer: I still only own the plot.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He hovered outside her window, watching her toss underneath her covers in a state of uncomfortableness. He knew he was late, the screen on his phone showing the time at 1:25 am, a full hour after her birthday had already come and gone. He wasn't sure how he would make it up to her this time, but Butch knew she would forgive him in the end, she always did.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Pulling up the screen on his phone again he retrieved her contact information and punched a quick text, waiting for the cell lying next to her head to vibrate. When it did, he retreated a little distance away from the window, taking cover in the tree standing tall beside the house. He could still see her, but the shadows provided enough protection for him if she was to look out.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"I know it's late, but Happy B-day BC. –Bstrong/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Butch watched her face light up for a brief moment before a frown appeared in its place. It looked almost as if she was just going to put the phone down and not respond, but the way she clutched it in her hand he knew she was thinking about what she was about to text. Her fingers flew across her screen before putting the phone down and he didn't have to wait long before her message showed across his own.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"Thx. –BCstrong/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"That was it? All he was going to get was a lousy thanks? It wasn't even the full word either but the shorthanded version of it. Was she really that mad at him or was she just tired? Butch settled on the tired theory for the simple fact that Buttercup would not have looked that happy when she first received his belated birthday wish if she was mad at him. Then again, she was known to not be the typical girl when it came to emotions and showing them.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"I'm sorry, I was busy all day or I would have come over. –Bstrong/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He knew it was a punk excuse, he could have texted her at any point in the day and knowing her she would bring that up, which is why it mystified him even more when she replied,p  
>p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"It's fine. I understand. –BCstrong/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Now where was the Buttercup Utonium that would have bitten his head off at such a lame story? Clearly whoever it was lying in her bed texting him wasn't the same girl. Since he had no other response to her passiveness Butch placed the phone back into his jacket pocket while extracting a cigarette and a lighter.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"One of the good things about having super powers was not getting cancer from smoking and he took advantage of it, inhaling at least two packs a day and not caring about what anybody thought of the green Rowdyruff when they saw him with a stick in his mouth.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He sat and watched her for a bit longer, noting that she turned to face the window and stare out into the night sky. He half wanted her to notice him sitting in the tree but knew it would lead to too many questions, instead he leaned his frame against the rough bark of the trunk and waited for her to close her violent green eyes, the ones that seemed to stare at the exact spot he was sitting in, before he finally flew home.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It was already three a.m. by the time he landed in his room, and trying not to wake up Boomer or Brick he glided towards his unmade bed. Quickly kicking off his shoes and tossing his jacket on a desk hidden underneath a pile of his stuff, Butch stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally falling asleep with thoughts of her on his mind.p 


End file.
